Today, Albanian broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) announced that it has received more than 80 entries for Festivali i Këngës 62. The annual Albanian music festival, which has also recently announced some changes to the voting format, will be used to find Albania’s representative for Eurovision 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.
The Lineup:
There is a certain international feel to the FiK lineup this year. In addition to an expected large Albanian presence, there are composers, lyricists and artists from all over the world who have put their hats in the ring to be Albina and Familja Kelmendi’s successors. This includes Kosovo, North Macedonia, Germany, Sweden, Italy and the United States of America.
Over the next week, the songs will undergo a selection phase and we should find out the songs participating in Festivali i Këngës 62 soon.Â
Albania’s Eurovision History:
In 2004, Albania made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest with Anjeza Shahini with “Image of You”, which placed 7th in the final. Since their debut, Albania has participated 19 times, and made the final 10 times, with their best result in 2012 where Rona Nishliu placed 5th with “Suus”.
In 2023, Albina Kelmendi and her family represented Albania at the Contest in Liverpool with their song “Duje”. Performing in the second semi-final, the six-piece group qualified for the final. At the close of the voting in the final, Albania finished in 22nd place with a total of 76 points. Of these, 16 points came from the juries, whilst 59 came from the televote.
Who would you like to see at Festivali i Këngës this year? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all things Albania at Eurovision 2024!
News Source: RTSH
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
